Rupturable disk mounting and indicator therefor



Nov. 25, 1941. G. E. FR ANCK 2,263,340

RUPTURABLE DISK MOUNTING AND INDICATOR THEREFOR Filed July 31, 1939 INVENTOR.

GwCQZEFrCUZG/D, BY @dm v7 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNlTED STATES PATENT orrica RUPTURABLE DISK MOUNTING AND mm- CATOR THEREFOR George E. Franck, Bcrwyn, Ill., assignor to The Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois v Application July 31, 1939, Serial N0. 287,544

, 5 Claims.

My invention relates to mountings for rupturable disks so that the disk may act as a safety .valve for containers of fluid and particularly volatile fiuids under pressure.

Among the objects of my invention is the provision of a new and improved fitting for mounting the rupturable disk.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a new and improved fitting for mounting a rupturable disk which is provided with a means for indicating to the observer the condition of the disk, that is, whether it is ruptured for a rupturable disk which includes a new and improved mounting for the disk adaptable especifitting so that there will be no leaks and so that the disk will rupture at precisely the pressure for which it is designed without appreciable variation one way or the other.

When disks are so mounted by tightly sealed fittings it becomes diflicultfor a service man to ascertain quickly whether or not ,a disk has been ruptured due to excessive pressure without actually examining the disk itself. While this of course can be ascertained by removing the disk or in some cases by .inserting awire or rod into the fitting it is not always convenient and in.

H some cases not possible by reason of the particular set-up of the device.

Accordingly, it becomes desirable to provide -some visible means which will indicate at a ally to the use of fiat or only slightly curved disks which is designed to eliminate all shearing action upon the clamped edges of the disk when the disk is subjected to pressure so that the breaking point will be constant and predetermined solely by the character of the metal comprising the disk.

A still further object is the combination of a rupturable disk fitting which includes a new and improved means .for preventing shearing action on a disk while it is being ruptured together with a visible indicating means which can be inspected externally in order to determine whether or not the disk has been ruptured.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my device with the indicating parts in normal position.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale.

When fittings using rupturable disks are used as safety or relief valves on large containers for fluid under pressure it is of course necessary to thoroughly seal and confine the disk within the 56 glance whether or not the disk has been ruptured so that if ruptured it can be replaced with another. The necessity for this becomes doubly important where the rupturable disk is used in conjunction with a spring actuated relief valve which shuts off the excess pressure as soon as it hasbeen reduced to a normal amount, whereby rendering detection of the rupturable disk impossible by reason of stopping the flow of relieved fluid under pressure from the fitting.

Accordingly, there is provided as shown herein a relief fitting comprising a body l0 which has a threaded projection l2 at one side designed to connect the fitting with a container for fluid under pressure.

threaded end through the device to the outlet side. This passage has an enlarged portion IS on the atmospheric side of the devicev forming a shoulder l8. 1

Upon the shoulder there is positioned a rupturable disk usually of metal of such a consistency that it will break when subjected to some predetermined amount of pressure. The disk is held upon the shoulder by means of a ring 22 of special construction. The ring, as shown. in Figure 2, has a curved surface area 24 which extends from theinside of the ring around the face 26 thereof which is in contact with the rupturable disk. It is preferable to provide a curvature such that it conforms with the natural expanded curvature of the disk. With such a construction there will always be a guide for spreading the curvature of the disk over a rela- It will be noted that the circle of contact'of the rounded surface area 24 with the ring has Within the body there is'prow vided a fluid passage 14 extending from the a diameter greater than the inside edge 28 of the shoulder which is the same as the diameter of the passage l4. For holding the ring in place against the rupturable disk there is provided a plug 30 having a threaded inner end 32 engaged with a threaded portion 34 of the enlarged portion of the passage and a threaded outer end 36. Within the plug is an outlet passage 38 for permitting the fluid to be discharged into the atmosphere. At the inside end of the plug there is a skirt 40 which has a rounded end 42 designed to be pressed against the ring which seals the rupturable disk in place. In the enlarged portion l6 of the passage there is provided an annular space 44 extending aroundthe passage adjacent the skirt and a plurality of apertures 46 communicating between the annular recess 44 and the passage through the body. It will be further noted that the skirt 4!) has a contracting portion 48 wider at the entrance than the point where it joins the outlet passage 38.

On one side" of the body there is provided a projection 50 within which is formed a hollow cylindrical cavity 52 which communicates by means of a short passage 54 with the annular recess 44. In the cylindrical recess there is positioned a piston-56 having a head 58 at the bottom and which substantially fills the cylindrical cavity and normally occupies the solid line position shown in Figure 2. The piston is provided with a stem 60 which extends upward out of the cylindrical cavity. A plug 62, which has an aperture 64 extending axially thereof, closes the outside end of the cavity and the stem 60 of the piston extends through the aperture of the plug and is slidably mounted therein. A friction packing 66 is provided at the outer end of the plug surrounding the piston stem and the packing is held in place by a packing nut 58 whereby it is pressed against the stem in order to provide a frictional sliding fit. The packing nut is provided with a dished top face for the ready reception of oil or lubricant.

In operation the fitting and parts thereof have the position shown in Figure 2 and the threaded end I2 will normally be inserted into the wall of a container of fluid under pressure. The passage I4 of course will be sealed against leakage of the fluid by means of the rupturable disk 20.

When pressure within the container begins to exceed the breaking. point of the disk the disk will be bulged outward as indicated by the dotted position 20' and during this outwardly bulging movement the disk will forni around the curved surface area of the ring 22 so that there will be no shearing of the disk at the edges, thereby providing that the breaking point will be precisely at the rupture point of the metal comprising the disk. On other occasions there will of course be flexure of the disk without breaking and changes in pressure will cause it to flex back and forth. By reason, however, of cur$ture of the inside of the ring being closely conformable to the natural flexing position of the disk, the flexure will not be localized but spread over a considerable area, prolonging the life of the disk by minimizing fatigue of the metal.

Once the rupture point has been passed the disk will burst and the major portion of the fluid driven out will be expelled outward through'the outlet passage 38. While the rush of fluid is takingplace, a portion of the fluid will be diverted by means of the contracted section 48 of the skirt through the apertures 46 into the annular recess 44 and up through the short passagej4 against the head of the piston. Only a small portion of the total pressure is necessary to force the piston upward from the solid line position shown in Figure 2 to the dotted line, position 60' thereby making the piston visible and indicating to an observer that the disk has been ruptured.

It will be appreciated of course that the upper end of the stem '63 can be painted red or some similar vividcolor so that attention will be immediately drawn to the ruptured condition of the disk.

Under such circumstances should the fluid pressure be shut off before its passage through the rupturable disk fitting the position of the stem will still make it apparent to an observer that the disk has been ruptured and needs re placement though there may be no means of inspecting the disk itself.

Once the piston has been driven to an upward position the friction exerted by the packing 66 will hold it there against the force of gravity after pressure has been removed from the low end of the piston. For resetting the stem need only to be pushed down by hand.

The rounded edge 42 of the skirt is provided in order to exert a smooth and even pressure against the disk holding ring when the fitting is assembled.

There has thus been provided a rupturable disk fitting of simple construction which gives a visible indication whenever the disk has been ruptured and which is provided with a quick and easy means of assembly whereby a ruptured disk can be readily removed and replaced with a new disk.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A signal device for indicating the condition of a rupturable disk comprising a body adapted to be attached to a container for fluid under pressure, a fluid passage therethrough, and a rupturable disk normally sealing the passage and dividing said passage into one portion wherein fluid is confined under pressure and another portion normally open to atmosphere, said body having an auxiliary opening therein normally communicating with the portion of said passage at atmospheric pressure and a movable member in the opening substantially closing said opening having a retracted normal position and adapted to be shifted to another position by pressure of the fluid during passage to. the atmosphere through said first passage when the disk is ruptured.

2. A visible signal for indicating the condition of a rupturable disk comprising a body having a fitting adapted to attach the body to a container of fluid under pressure, a fluid passage therethrough and an annular recess in the body encircling the fluid passage, a rupturable disk in the passage and a sealing means for the disc comprising a threaded plug means including a skirt bearing on the disc, said skirt having an area adjacent the recess and an aperture therein communicating between the passage and said recess to deflect therethrough a portion of the fluid pressure passing through said passage upon rupture of the disc, said body having at one side a cavity communicating with the recess, an apertured plug for the cavity, a piston reciprocably mounted in the cavity having one end retracted into said cavity in normal position and adapted to be forced toward the top thereof on admission of fluid under pressure when the disc is ruptured, the other end of the piston being extended normally within the plug and adapted to be projected above the plug by pressure resulting from rupture of the disk to visibly indicate the ruptured condition of said disk.

3. A fitting for a rupturable disk including a visible signal for indicating the condition of said of the disk, a projection at the side of the body having a cylindrical cavity therein communicating with the recess, an apertured plug for the cavity, a piston reciprocably mounted in the cavity having a head portion withdrawn therein in normal position and adapted to be forced outwardly of said cavity upon admission of fluid under pressure when the disk is ruptured, a stem on the piston extending within the plug, a packing member secured around the stem having a top face, said stem being normally held by fric-' tion at a level beneath the top face aml havinga visible position extended above said face when subjected to pressure resulting from ruptureof a body having a fittingthereon adapted to be at--- the disk to indicate the ruptured condition'o said disk. v

4. A visible signal for indicating the condition of a rupturable disk comprising a body having a fitting adapted to attach the body to a container of fluid under pressure, a fluid passage therethrough and an annular recess in the body-jen circling the fluid passage, said passage having an enlarged portion adjacent the recess, a rupturable disk positioned in the passage and a sealing means for the disk comprising a threaded plug having a skirt including a rounded edge adapted to bev pressed into sealing contact with the'disk, said skirt having a contracted area 'adjacent the recess and an aperture thereinfcommunicating between the passage and said recess to deflect therethrough a portion of the fluid pressurepassing through said passage on rupture of the, disk, a projection at the side of the body having a cylindrical cavity therein communicating with the recess, an apertured plug for the cavity, a piston reciprocably mounted in the cavity having a head portion at the bottom thereof ininormal position adapted to be forced toward the top thereof against said plug on admission of fluid under pressure when, the disk is ruptured, a

stem on thepiston extending throughthe plug, a friction packing member secured around the stem to hold it in any of its positions said member having a dished top face for reception of lubrication therefor, said piston stem having a .normal position withdrawn beneath the visible level-0f said. top'face and a position extended above said face by pressure resulting from rup- 7 ture of ,the disk thereby to visiblylindicatethe ruptured condition, of said disk."

5. A visible t'signal device for indicatin gfthe broken condition of a' ruptur'able disk comprising tached-to a 'container-for fluid under pressure, a

fluid passage therethr'ough anda rupturable disk normally sealing the passage'and separating-the 3 passage and two portions one .beingunder gas pressureandthe other-being-und'er atmospheric,

pressure and opening into" the atmosphere,- afre I cess in the body atthe side of the passage nor,-

mally communicating with the porti'o'n of said passage under; atmospheric pressurej said body having an opening therein on the atmospheric sidefof the disc communicating with said recess and the 'atmosphere anda movable plug in the opening having'an element thereon substantially closing said opening against the passage of gas .positioned in -a retracted normal position when I thedisk is unruptured and having 'jashifted visible-position when subjected to pressure 'of the fluid'a'gainstsald-element .by -passed from said passage into-said opening when the disk is ruptured 5-;

GEORGE E. CK. 

